Although Amsterdam is one of Europe’s leading capitals, it still has the village charm. No other European city can rival Amsterdam’s 7,000 historic buildings, some of which date back to the 14th century. The well-known symmetrical rings of canals with over 1,000 bridges summon up visions of Holland’s Golden Age. Amsterdam has a dazzling array of cultural attractions with something for everyone. Virtually all points of interest are well within walking distance.

There are 42 museums, including the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Scheepvaartmuseum (Maritime Museum) and the Anne Frank House. The city is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Dutch National Ballet and the Dutch Opera.

Moreover, the Dutch are multilingual, which makes getting around so much easier. Amsterdam will welcome you warmly and you will feel at home in one of the most interesting cities of Europe.

The Rijksmuseum is one of Amsterdam’s grandest museums and it showed off its new (and old) look in April 2013, following 10 years of extensive restoration and renovation. Designed by renowned Dutch architect P.J.H. Cuypers, construction began in 1876, with the monumental building finally opening in 1885 as the largest museum in the Netherlands. www.rijksmuseum.nl

Anne Frank House

A notable historical site where you can see the rooms where the Jewish Frank family hid from the Nazis and where the teenage Anne wrote her famous diary during the Second World War. www.annefrank.org

Van Gogh Museum

This museum includes the world's largest collection of this visionary artist's work as well as temporary exhibitions of work by Van Gogh's contemporaries. www.vangoghmuseum.nl

Hermitage Amsterdam

The building in which Hermitage Amsterdam is currently housed was for 324 years a home for the elderly. When at the close of the twentieth century it became apparent that Amstelhof care facility no longer met contemporary requirements it was decided to find a new use for the building. www.hermitage.nl